Video captured at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) captured the earliest moments off the still-raging <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palisades fire</a>, showing just how quickly it grew into a massive blaze.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared by @airlinevideos footage via X, along with key details to watch for in the clip.
“NEW: My former @FOXLA colleague Kevin Horton captured video of the moment the #PalisadesFire first broke out on Tuesday morning. He runs @airlinevideos at LAX, where he has live cameras set up,” Melugin said.
He went on to lay out the key timestamps that showed the start of the Palisades fire and its rapid growth into the blaze that has thus far devastated hundreds of homes, businesses, and schools. The latest estimates suggest more than $50 billion worth of property has been damaged or destroyed.
“At 10:26 AM, as a Delta flight lands, you see the first small plume of smoke in the hills in the background,” Melugin said of the included video. “At 10:28 AM, as a United flight lands, the smoke plume can be seen growing larger.”
“At 10:30 AM, Kevin notices the fire and active flames, and begins talking about it,” he noted. “By 10:42 AM, the fire is fully established and the flames begin moving toward homes. Video credit: @airlinevideos.”
WATCH:
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NEW: My former <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOXLA</a> colleague Kevin captured video of the moment the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalisadesFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalisadesFire</a> first broke out on Tuesday morning. He runs <a href="https://twitter.com/airlinevideos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@airlinevideos</a> at LAX, where he has live cameras set up. 
At 10:26 AM, as a Delta flight lands, you see the first small plume of smoke in the hills… <a href="https://t.co/UwkEhwfuvJ">pic.twitter.com/UwkEhwfuvJ</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1877482448914887047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Palisades fire is just one of at least three fires currently raging in the vicinity of Los Angeles, which combined have resulted in tens of thousands of evacuations. At least five people have been killed.

California fires

SEE IT: The Moment The Palisades Fire Erupted Caught On Airport Video Feed

California

Los Angeles

Media

U.S.

Wildfires

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> news anchor Melvin Robert had just finished claiming that he had heard no reports of firefighters running out of water when his reporter on the scene directly contradicted him.
Robert, an anchor with FOX 11 Los Angeles, mentioned the claims made by developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso regarding the firefighters who have been attempting to battle the multiple blazes — namely that hydrants were running dry — and Robert stated that he had heard no such claims directly from the firefighters.
WATCH:
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This news anchor tried to come to the defense of elected Democrats by claiming that Rick Caruso was wrong about firefighters not having water to put out fires but then the reporter on the ground jumps in to confirm that there’s NO WATER.
This is criminal. <a href="https://t.co/dzDMrXIy00">pic.twitter.com/dzDMrXIy00</a>
&mdash; Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1877210995468239038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Robert began with an audio clip of Caruso, who had called in to an earlier broadcast:
<blockquote>
The real issue to me is twofold. We’ve had decades to go to remove the brush in these hills that spread so quickly. And the second is you’ve got to have water. And my understanding is the reservoir was not refilled in time and in a timely manner to keep the hydrants going.
So that’s a failure whether on DWP’s part or another city agency. But this is basic stuff, this isn’t high science here. And it’s all about leadership and management that we’re seeing a failure of. And all of these residents are paying the ultimate price for that.”
</blockquote>
&#8220;Despite what you have heard from Caruso, no firefighters have told us that they are running out of water,&#8221; Robert said once the clip ended.
Just a few seconds later, however, Robert went live to reporter Gigi Graciette in Pacific Palisades — and she immediately rebutted his claim.
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&#8220;Well, firefighters have told me they have no water on this block. And you may be able to make out the ember storm that we’re in the middle of right now. This house is going to be a total loss. They have no water to put on this fire. They are standing by because they’re trying to save the home that is next to it. That home is going to be a total loss,&#8221; Graciette said.
&#8220;Firefighters here telling me they have no water. Why? They don’t know. They’ve heard that there may be broken mains. There may be broken pipes. They don’t know, but what they’ve been doing to save the house next to it is actually putting — pulling water from the swimming pool,&#8221; she said.

US-WEATHER-FIRE

News Anchor Claims L.A. Firefighters Aren’t Out Of Water, Reporter Immediately Contradicts Him

News Anchor Claims L.A. Firefighters Aren't Out Of Water, Reporter Immediately Contradicts Him

Politics

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) confirmed on Thursday that he intended to take a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with President-elect Donald Trump, making him the first Senate Democrat to do so.
Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram reported the news, sharing a statement Fetterman issued on the topic.
&#8220;Fox confirms: Trump/Fetterman to meet Senator Fetterman’s statement: &#8216;President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians— not just Democrats in Pennsylvania. I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation.'&#8221;
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Fox confirms: Trump/Fetterman to meet
Senator Fetterman’s statement:    “President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians— not just Democrats in Pennsylvania.    “I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a…
&mdash; Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1877426689598239218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Yes, we are going to have a conversation,&#8221; Fetterman said in a statement given to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fetterman-trump-mar-a-lago/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>. &#8220;I think that one, he’s the president, or he will be officially…and I think it’s pretty reasonable that if the president would like to have a conversation — or invite someone to have a conversation — to have it.&#8221;
&#8220;I have no idea what&#8217;s going to exactly come up. So, I mean, regardless of whatever comes up, that&#8217;s going to be part of the conversation,&#8221; he added.
Fetterman was also the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-is-first-senate-democrat-to-step-up-sponsor-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first Senate Democrat</a> to sign on and sponsor the Laken Riley Act — named for the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien who had been arrested for theft, but not deported — which would compel federal officials to take action against illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft.
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He has also signaled a willingness to vote in favor of and work with at least a few of President-elect Trump&#8217;s nominees, saying that is simply part of the way &#8220;democracy works.&#8221;
Fetterman may not have much company among his Democratic colleagues, however, according a recent video made for social media. After first promising to work for the people, they also promised to fight against any Trump policies that they did not like.
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Senate Democrats release cringe video promising to FIGHT Donald Trump and stand in his way. <a href="https://t.co/HuOyyiDX5D">pic.twitter.com/HuOyyiDX5D</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1877418497120084308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The date and time of any such meeting between Fetterman and Trump has not yet been finalized. Trump has already met with at least one prominent Democrat ahead of his second inauguration and the start of his second term in office: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Challenges in Preserving the U.S. Housing Stock

John Fetterman Will Be First Senate Democrat To Take A Meeting With Trump

Donald Trump

Executive

John Fetterman

Pennsylvania

U.S. Senate

Los Angeles Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karen-bass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Bass</a>, a Democrat, got testy with CBS reporter Jonathan Vigliotti during a Thursday morning press conference regarding the multiple wildfires still blazing in the area.
Vigliotti and others have pressed Bass, who returned from a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa only after the fires began, to account for her absence when weather services had warned that the conditions were ripe for massive fires and also for the fact that the Los Angeles Fire Department has reported a lack of necessary resources to fight the fires.
WATCH:
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REPORTER: What explains this lack of preparation and rapid response?
LA MYOR KAREN BASS: My number one focus&#8230;is that we have to protect lives, we have to save lives, and we have to save homes. Rest assured —
REPORTER: But that did not happen.
BASS: Let me finish! <a href="https://t.co/A7tojlbORL">pic.twitter.com/A7tojlbORL</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1877401148723810646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Mayor, L.A. County is in a panic state. It began two days ago with the Palisades fire. My crew and I arrived shortly after it started and for several hours, we watched as hundreds of homes in the neighborhood burned to the ground and we did not see a single fire engine,&#8221; Vigliotti began. &#8220;We watched as good samaritans guided traffic.&#8221;
&#8220;There was fear and there was a lot of confusion. You were out of the country at the time. Shortly after the fire started, a press release was put out warning of this fire behavior,&#8221; he continued, turning to question Bass directly. &#8220;My question to you is, what explains this lack of preparation and rapid response?&#8221;
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&#8220;Let me just say first and foremost my number one focus and the focus of all of us here with one voice is that we have to protect lives, we have to save lives, and we have to save homes. Rest assured that —&#8221; Bass replied.
Viglioti objected: &#8220;But that didn’t happen.&#8221;
&#8220;Rest assured! Let me finish!&#8221; Bass protested. &#8220;Rest assured, when that is done, when we are safe, and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, what didn’t work, and to correct or to hold accountable anybody, department, individual, etc. But my focus right now is on the lives and on the homes.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you think your leadership was effective while responding to this disaster?&#8221; Vigliotti pressed again.
&#8220;I just said what I believe is the most important thing for us to do right now,&#8221; Bass replied. &#8220;And that is going to continue to be my focus. Thank you.&#8221;

Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area

‘Let Me Finish!’: Karen Bass Snaps At Reporter Who Dares To Question Her Leadership

'Let Me Finish!': Karen Bass Snaps At Reporter Who Dares To Question Her Leadership

Karen Bass

Los Angeles Fire Department

Natural Disaster

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> is under fire as Navy veteran Zachary Young testifies in his $1 billion lawsuit against the network, telling judge and jury that a CNN report that aired November 11, 2021, had &#8220;destroyed his reputation and business.&#8221;
Young&#8217;s suit alleges that the segment — which aired on &#8220;The Lead&#8221; with anchor Jake Tapper and featured reporting by correspondent Alex Marquardt — incorrectly implied that he had profited illegally from his efforts to aid in the evacuation of &#8220;desperate Afghans&#8221; who were trying to flee the country in the wake of President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous military withdrawal from Afghanistan months earlier.
As <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/cia-trained-navy-veteran-details-very-devastating-impact-cnn-segment-had-his-life-labeled-criminal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by Fox News Digital, &#8220;14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry, who is presiding over the trial in Bay County, Florida, has already ruled that Young &#8216;did not act illegally or criminally&#8217; despite what the network reported on air. Judge Henry has also declared the court found Young &#8216;did not take money from Afghans.'&#8221;
CNN&#8217;s reporting painted a very different picture, however. Twice before the November 11 segment even aired, Tapper had teased a story about &#8220;desperate Afghans still trying to escape the country being preyed on by folks demanding that they pay up big time to get out.&#8221;
Tapper then introduced Marquardt&#8217;s report, saying, &#8220;Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.&#8221;
Marquardt&#8217;s report focused on Young, claiming that the Navy veteran had asked for &#8220;prices well beyond the reach of most Afghans&#8221; in exchange for his efforts to help them escape the Taliban-controlled country.
&#8220;In a text message, he told CNN that Afghans trying to leave are expected to have sponsors pay for them,&#8221; Marquardt explained, also noting that Young had attributed the &#8220;volatile&#8221; high costs attached to evacuation to &#8220;environmental realities.&#8221;
Marquardt went on to say that Young had declined to share a detailed explanation of the costs, adding, &#8220;In another message, that person offering those evacuations, Zachary Young, he wrote, ‘Availability is extremely limited, and demand is high’… he goes on to say, ‘That’s how economics works, unfortunately.'&#8221;
The segment concluded with interviews of two anonymous Afghans — with whom Young says he never had contact — who told CNN that they hoped to evacuate family members from the country, but were afraid they could not afford to do so.
<a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2025/01/07/facts-didnt-matter-testimony-cnn-defamation-trial-begins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young&#8217;s defense</a> is set to focus on a number of text messages that his attorneys say make it clear that some at the network were aware prior to airing the story that it was &#8220;full of holes.&#8221;
Young&#8217;s attorney Kyle Roche, during Tuesday&#8217;s opening statements, claimed that the CNN report was &#8220;reckless&#8221; and that the network had &#8220;set out to destroy Zach’s reputation.&#8221;
&#8220;They didn’t care about the truth. They cared about theater and they cared about ratings,&#8221; he said, previewing internal messages from CNN editors who stated that Marquardt&#8217;s report was &#8220;full of holes like Swiss cheese&#8221; and &#8220;80 percent emotion and 20 percent obscured fact.&#8221;
During Young&#8217;s testimony, which began Tuesday and continued on Wednesday, a series of messages between Marquardt and Young were presented as evidence. The exchange showed that Marquardt had told Young he planned to go ahead with the story, but then only gave him a two-hour window in which to respond to multiple questions.
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That message came in the night, Vienna-time. Young responded 5-minutes later: &quot;I will need some time to review and provide comment.&quot; Marquardt told Young that the story was &quot;running this afternoon DC time.&quot; This would be in just a couple of hours. <a href="https://t.co/RoAnDsV99t">pic.twitter.com/RoAnDsV99t</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1877019355956822089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Young replied, saying that the story&#8217;s claims were not accurate and the deadline was not reasonable — and threatened legal action against the network if they ran with it anyway.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;That&#39;s definitely not a realistic deadline. In any case, I can tell you for sure, some of your facts/assertions for not accurate, and it they are published, i will seek legal damages,&quot; Young warned CNN&#39;s Alex Marqardt. The warning was not heeded. <a href="https://t.co/fLwCNb3M9K">pic.twitter.com/fLwCNb3M9K</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1877020492948770889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Following the report, Young said on the stand that he had been in therapy and placed on medication after suffering multiple panic attacks a day. He also said that he&#8217;d not been able to work since the report came out — and that when he&#8217;d tried to offer his assistance with evacuations in Sudan, his posts were &#8220;flooded&#8221; with &#8220;hate echoing what CNN said&#8221; in the reports about him.
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Young testified that he tried to offer evacuations during the crisis in Sudan, but people flooded his LinkedIn post with hate echoing what CNN said about him.
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1877078103391895686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When CNN attorney David Axelrod (no relation to the CNN commentator/former Obama staffer) got up to cross-examine Young, one of the first questions he asked referenced an old resume in which Young had cited his ability to &#8220;deal with stress.&#8221; Some speculated that line of questioning would later be used to attack his claims that the CNN report was damaging to his mental health.

CNN Under Fire As Navy Veteran Testifies In $1 Billion Defamation Case

Afghanistan

Joe Biden

Lawsuit

Military

The hosts of left-wing political podcast &#8220;Pod Save America&#8221; — all of whom are veterans of former President Barack Obama&#8217;s administration — complained during a recent episode that President Joe Biden had given an award to former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) rather than their old boss.
The three — Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — agreed unanimously on one of the awards Biden chose to give: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation&#8217;s highest civilian honor, to billionaire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-award-hillary-clinton-george-soros-with-presidential-medal-of-freedom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George Soros</a>.
&#8220;Well-earned Medal of Freedom, if I do say so!&#8221; Lovett said.
Favreau, after noting that Soros was an investor, added, &#8220;There&#8217;s a good one.&#8221;
&#8220;He got one right,&#8221; Vietor agreed before pivoting to complain about the selection process: &#8220;It doesn’t make any sense. You can give it to living people, you can give it to dead people, you can give it to foreign nationals, Colin Powell got it twice for some reason, you can add a ‘with distinction’ flag with no real explanation for what that means.&#8221;
All three then grumbled about the fact that Biden chose to award Cheney — although she received a lesser award, the Presidential Citizens Medal — rather than returning the honor Obama showed Biden when he awarded him the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nbcs-lauer-wept-when-obama-honored-biden-hank-berrien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medal of Freedom</a>.
&#8220;Liz Cheney didn’t get the Medal of Freedom, she got the one just below it, which by the way, pissed off some resistance folks on Twitter. I bet Liz Cheney could use a pardon more than the f***ing medal!&#8221; Favreau cracked, referring to rumors that the White House had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-aides-discussing-preemptive-pardons-for-fauci-schiff-cheney-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered &#8220;pre-emptive&#8221; pardons</a> for those against whom Trump might seek retribution.
Lovett wondered, &#8220;Why is there a silver in this? What are we doing?&#8221;
&#8220;Obama gave [a Medal of Freedom] to Biden, and Biden did not return the favor,&#8221; Favreau complained.
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Lovett aimed a jab at the behind-the-scenes efforts to oust Biden from the 2024 presidential race — an effort that many believe was driven at least in part by Obama — adding, &#8220;I guess they’re not really on speaking terms, I suppose, after all that’s happened!&#8221;
The solution, all three agreed, was to have a more &#8220;objective&#8221; process in selecting those who might be honored for such awards: &#8220;If you want to make it special and a revered honor, you kinda got to have some kind of independent body that is just, like, &#8216;hey, president, here’s where we go.'&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Harris Certifies Trump’s Presidential Win on Jan. 6 Insurrection Anniversary" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PeZ8x2erhec?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

President Obama Gives Tribute To VP Biden In The State Dining Room

Obama Bro Podcasters Ruffled Over Biden Awarding Liz Cheney, Passing Over Their Old Boss

Barack Obama

Liz Cheney

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings sparked reactions from the others around the table during a panel discussion on President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s more recent &#8220;expansionist&#8221; rhetoric.
Referencing Trump&#8217;s assertions regarding the United States potentially taking control of the Panama Canal and Greenland — despite objections from those who currently control those two areas — host Abby Phillip said that Trump was marking a clear departure from an America that promoted peace over expansion.
WATCH:
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🔥NEW: Scott Jennings drops truth nuke on CNN panel fretting over Trump&#39;s “expansionist” rhetoric:
“What Donald Trump is saying to the world is we are not a shrinking violet anymore.&quot;
&quot;We are the United States of America. We&#39;re the preeminent superpower. And reporters keep… <a href="https://t.co/8rVsJf6pCF">pic.twitter.com/8rVsJf6pCF</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1876834243336090073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We helped create a world order in which we said, you cannot just decide you want that country and then take your military and go into that country and take it,&#8221; Phillip began. &#8220;Okay, so that is the era of not being in an expansionist military era for the United States. And you&#8217;re saying that&#8217;s not true. Why is it not true?&#8221;
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&#8220;Well, you can think small if you want to, but I think Trump&#8217;s thinking big, and he&#8217;s thinking about U.S. interests,&#8221; Jennings replied. &#8220;There are U.S. interests in Greenland, they have rare earth minerals, we already have some kind of space facility there, and it would help fortify us against the Russians. The Panama Canal is of course of interest when you consider the Chinese incursions and influence in this hemisphere.&#8221;
&#8220;What Donald Trump is saying to the world is we are not a shrinking violet anymore,&#8221; Jennings continued. &#8220;We are the United States of America. We are the preeminent superpower. And reporters keep asking him to rule things out and take things off the table, and it would be the height of stupidity to do so now or do anything else before he takes office. Why would he tell the rest of the world what he may or may not do?&#8221;
Trump has also repeatedly ribbed Canadian officials — particularly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation earlier this week — about the possibility that the United States&#8217; neighbor to the north could become the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-trudeau-governor-of-the-great-state-of-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">51st state</a>.

President-Elect Donald Trump Meets Prince William In Paris Ahead Of Notre-Dame Reopening

Scott Jennings Puts CNN Panel In A Tailspin Over Trump’s ‘Expansionist’ Rhetoric

Scott Jennings Puts CNN Panel In A Tailspin Over Trump's 'Expansionist' Rhetoric

Canada

Greenland

Panama Canal

The Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department announced during a Wednesday press conference that at least two looting-related arrests have already been made amid the still-blazing Palisades Fire.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna issued a warning to anyone who might be planning to come and steal things from the homes in the area, many of which were left vacant when their owners <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/people-abandon-cars-as-they-flee-palisades-fire-in-southern-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evacuated</a> to escape the fires.
WATCH:
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🚨 JUST IN: Multiple looting arrests have already been made during the Los Angeles fires, per LA County Sheriff
These people are the scum of the earth.
Will the George Soros prosecutors ACTUALLY hold these lowlifes responsible for once? <a href="https://t.co/rmSQRxZOvH">pic.twitter.com/rmSQRxZOvH</a>
&mdash; Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1877030265446412629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It&#8217;s always sad when I have to say this, but part of our responsibility is to make sure that no one loots or steals from our residents, our community members who are already being impacted,&#8221; he began. &#8220;And I&#8217;m sad to report we made two arrests this morning for looting already.&#8221;
Luna then pivoted to warn anyone considering coming into the area with a mind to steal from local residents who had been evacuated.
&#8220;So if you are thinking about coming into the — any of these areas to steal from our residents, I&#8217;m going to tell you something: you&#8217;re going to be caught, you&#8217;re going to be arrested, and you&#8217;re going to be prosecuted,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Don&#8217;t do that. Stay out of these areas. It&#8217;s only for emergency workers and people who live there.&#8221;
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Audio obtained from radio calls between firefighters — who are still battling the raging fires despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/theres-nothing-they-can-do-firefighters-stymied-as-l-a-hydrants-run-dry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limited water supplies</a> — indicated that they were also witnessing people attempting to break into some of the vacant homes.
&#8220;People are trying to break into homes up here,&#8221; one could be heard saying as he called for additional resources.
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🚨 JUST IN: Reports of looting underway in the Pacific Palisades area, as LAFD requests additional resources
“People are trying to break into homes up here!”
This is freaking Armageddon.
(via <a href="https://twitter.com/thinktankfranks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thinktankfranks</a>) <a href="https://t.co/5JYCBmXbEb">pic.twitter.com/5JYCBmXbEb</a>
&mdash; Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1876870495842300327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Officials have confirmed that four separate fires are still burning in the area, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. More than 1,000 structures have reportedly already burned, with hundreds more at risk, and at least <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/01/wildfire-pacific-palisades-winds-1236250233/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two civilians</a> have been reported killed in the Eaton fire.
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Officials update on 4 Major Fires Burning Through L.A. 2 people killed in Eaton Fire, 1,000 structures destroyed in Palisades Fire. 2 people arrested for looting. <a href="https://t.co/1wN1AGBahr">pic.twitter.com/1wN1AGBahr</a>
&mdash; Tim Conway Jr Show (@ConwayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/ConwayShow/status/1877030939160670490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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L.A. County Sheriff: Multiple Looting Arrests Already Made In Homes Evacuated For Palisades Fire

Crime

Looting

Los Angeles County

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso ripped into Democrat Mayor Karen Bass, saying that &#8220;absolute mismanagement by the city&#8221; caused the city&#8217;s fire hydrants to run dry as the area went up in flames.
The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-08/lack-of-water-from-hydrants-in-palisades-fire-is-hampering-firefighters-caruso-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in the early hours of Wednesday morning that firefighters battling the blaze in Pacific Palisades had begun to report over radios that fire hydrants were losing pressure and running out of water entirely.
&#8220;The hydrants are down,&#8221; and, &#8220;Water supply just dropped,&#8221; they said, according to the outlet.
The Department of Water and Power provided a statement to the Times acknowledging the hydrants were running out of water but did not give any indication as to how widespread the issue was.
&#8220;This area is served by water tanks and close coordination is underway to continue supplying the area,&#8221; the statement said.
Caruso, a developer in Los Angeles, commented on the still-unfolding tragedy: &#8220;There’s no water in the fire hydrants. The firefighters are there [in the neighborhood], and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning. &#8230; It should never happen.&#8221;
Calling in to a local news station, Caruso revealed that his daughter&#8217;s home was among the 1000 structures that had burned thus far — and said that if the city was better managed, the situation could have been much less disastrous.
WATCH:
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&quot;This is like a 3rd world country&quot;
Rick Caruso says there is 0 water coming out of the fire hydrants. Mayor Bass is in Ghana. <a href="https://t.co/GPXmDVvLS1">pic.twitter.com/GPXmDVvLS1</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1876894002336686220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;My heart goes out obviously to the people with their homes, and I&#8217;m watching the small businesses around us go up in flames, you know this is people&#8217;s livelihoods,&#8221; Caruso said. &#8220;So it&#8217;s devastating. but what is most concerning to me is our first responders and our firefighters who are trying to battle this, there&#8217;s no water in the Palisades.&#8221;
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Caruso went on to point the finger at the mismanagement of resources, saying that reservoirs had not been refilled and noting the fact that Mayor Bass is out of the country, traveling in Ghana.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no water coming out of the fire hydrants. This is an absolute mismanagement by the city,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s not the firefighters&#8217; fault, but it&#8217;s by the city. And I&#8217;ve got to be very honest, we&#8217;ve got a mayor that&#8217;s out of the country, and we&#8217;ve got a city that&#8217;s burning, and there&#8217;s no resources to put out fires.&#8221;
&#8220;So if you look at your pictures, you don&#8217;t see the firefighters there because there&#8217;s nothing they can do,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;It looks like we&#8217;re in a third-world country here.&#8221;
Caruso went on to say that the people needed to ask some tough questions of their local representatives, saying that he did not believe much had been done in the way of mitigation in the last couple of decades: &#8220;What&#8217;s predictable is preventable.&#8221;

‘There’s Nothing They Can Do’: Firefighters Stymied As L.A. Hydrants Run Dry

'There's Nothing They Can Do': Firefighters Stymied As L.A. Hydrants Run Dry

Rick Caruso

Emmanuel &#8220;Manny&#8221; Hostin, husband of ABC News personality Sunny Hostin, is one of 200 defendants who were named in a massive RICO case filed in New York City just before Christmas.
According to an <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14243993/The-View-Sunny-Hostin-surgeon-husband-Emmanuel-insurance-fraud-claim.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive report</a> published by The Daily Mail, Hostin and many others have been accused of taking &#8220;kickbacks&#8221; and submitting fraudulent bills to an insurance company that typically insures Uber and Lyft drivers and cab companies.
The lawsuit, filed December 17, alleges that &#8220;Hostin knowingly provided fraudulent medical and other healthcare services including arthroscopic surgeries,&#8221; and then reportedly billed American Transit insurance &#8220;in exchange for kickbacks and/or other compensation which were disguised as dividends or other cash distributions.&#8221;
Daniel Thwaites, an attorney representing Hostin, gave a statement to The Daily Mail, saying that his client &#8220;denies each and every allegation&#8221; and referring to the suit as a &#8220;blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance carrier.&#8221;
Thwaites further alleged that the insurance company was intentionally &#8220;abusing the legal system&#8221; in an effort to &#8220;restrict health care benefits to its insureds and their passengers, and write off its proper obligations.&#8221;
&#8220;It is meant to intimidate and harass doctors from collecting for care given to American Transit insureds and their passengers,&#8221; Thwaites added. &#8220;American Transit has rushed into the lawsuit without ever conducting an examination of Dr. Hostin or expressing any concerns to his lawyers.&#8221;
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Sunny Hostin, who regularly cohosts ABC&#8217;s midday talk show &#8220;The View,&#8221; also serves as a senior legal correspondent and analyst for the network. She is an attorney who previously worked as a federal prosecutor.
The Media Research Center&#8217;s Nick Fondacaro <a href="https://x.com/NickFondacaro/status/1876745897989550477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1876745897989550477%7Ctwgr%5E5450f4be7f8ffab684d534e044296dd199741a9b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D854899action%3Dedit">posted a clip</a> from &#8220;The View&#8221; in which Hostin references her husband&#8217;s work, including his alleged attempts to recover payment from health insurance companies by suing them. &#8220;[He] operates on someone even though they don&#8217;t have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work that he&#8217;s been trained his whole life to do,&#8221; says Hostin.

2024 Bezos Courage and Civility Awards

‘The View’ Host’s Husband Caught Up In RICO Lawsuit Alleging Medical Insurance Fraud

'The View' Host's Husband Caught Up In RICO Lawsuit Alleging Medical Insurance Fraud

Sunny Hostin

The View

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) became the first Senate Democrat to sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
News broke of Fetterman&#8217;s plan to sponsor the bill just ahead of a vote for the measure took place in the House.
&#8220;BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) sponsors the Laken Riley Act in the Senate. Fetterman is the first Senate Democrat to sponsor it. This bill will ensure detention and deportations of criminal aliens before they can commit heinous crimes like what happened to Laken Riley,&#8221; Eric Daugherty posted.
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BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) sponsors the Laken Riley Act in the Senate.
Fetterman is the first Senate Democrat to sponsor it.
This bill will ensure detention and deportations of criminal aliens before they can commit heinous crimes like what happened to Laken Riley.… <a href="https://t.co/SBqGifP5VB">pic.twitter.com/SBqGifP5VB</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1876635042866221500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Fetterman issued a statement in support of the bill, which is named for the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal migrant who had previously been arrested but not deported.
&#8220;Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,&#8221; Fetterman&#8217;s statement read.
&#8220;Immigration is what makes our country great,&#8221; Fetterman <a href="https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-ted-budd-john-thune-john-fetterman-colleagues-introduce-laken-riley-act-in-119th-congress/">continued</a>. &#8220;I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.&#8221;
The Laken Riley Act, introduced in the Republican-led House by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed the lower chamber</a> on Tuesday. Forty-eight Democrats voted with 216 Republicans to pass the bill, which was opposed by 159 Democrats.
As previously reported, if signed into law, the Laken Riley Act would compel federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants charged with theft in the U.S. In addition, it opens the door for individual states to sue federal officials for “injunctive relief” if immigration actions or policies implemented by the federal government have an adverse impact on citizens in their state.
Rep. Collins thanked Fetterman for supporting the bill in a post on X, saying, &#8220;This bill sells itself, but I will be living in the Senate hallways until it passes if need be. Very grateful for @SenFettermanPA. Now we need Georgia&#8217;s Senators to step up.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This bill sells itself, but I will be living in the Senate hallways until it passes if need be. Very grateful for <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenFettermanPA</a>. Now we need Georgia&#39;s Senators to step up. <a href="https://t.co/GD8tTeFpFs">https://t.co/GD8tTeFpFs</a>
&mdash; Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1876648944450633888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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John Fetterman Is First Senate Democrat To Step Up, Sponsor Laken Riley Act

Congress

Laken Riley

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings let all the air out of the balloon being floated by his fellow panelists on Monday, saying that Vice President Kamala Harris did not deserve any special recognition for presiding over the certification of her own election loss.
Jennings noted that Harris, as the sitting vice president and, therefore, the President of the Senate, had only the role of a figurehead with regard to the certification of the Electoral College&#8217;s votes from the November 5 presidential election.
WATCH:
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NEW: Scott Jennings reins in CNN panel that got a little too excited about Kamala Harris. Van Jones&#39; reaction is priceless.
&quot;Before we canonize Saint Kamala here on the high holy day of January 6th, let&#39;s remember: the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 makes it perfectly clear… <a href="https://t.co/Talo9xWoOo">pic.twitter.com/Talo9xWoOo</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1876614241836220697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Before we canonize Saint Kamala here on the high holy day of January 6th, let&#8217;s remember: the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 makes it perfectly clear that the vice president has nothing but purely ministerial duties on this day,&#8221; Jennings began. &#8220;She didn&#8217;t actually certify the results — that was done by the voters and people of the states.&#8221;
&#8220;It was clear as day four years ago,&#8221; fellow panelist Van Jones interjected, aiming a jab at President-elect Donald Trump and those who had expected then Vice President Mike Pence to step in and stop the certification of President Joe Biden&#8217;s victory in 2020.
&#8220;Nobody&#8217;s trying to canonize her &#8230;&#8221; host Abby Phillip protested, repeating Jones&#8217; statement. &#8220;The same thing was true four years ago.&#8221;
&#8220;Oh, they&#8217;re not? She put out a video trying to canonize herself,&#8221; Jennings pushed back, obviously unconvinced.
The video Jennings referenced was posted Monday by the vice president, and in it, she claimed that she was doing her &#8220;sacred&#8221; duty to the U.S. Constitution, and that she was driven only by her &#8220;love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation — one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people. <a href="https://t.co/w21HzdNxGs">pic.twitter.com/w21HzdNxGs</a>
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1876260143509192977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jennings also sparked reactions from the rest of the panel when he argued that Democrats — who have objected to the certification of every Republican presidential victory in more than three decades — had done more to overturn elections than Republicans had.
&#8220;I want to actually congratulate the Democrats today. This is the first election since 19—&#8221; Jennings began.
&#8220;He’s doing it again,&#8221; Jones complained.
&#8220;He’s doing this again!&#8221; former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) echoed.
&#8220;This is the first election since 1988–&#8221; Jennings tried again.
&#8220;Scott, Scott, Scott!  Scott–&#8221; Phillip tried to stop him.
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&#8220;–that a Republican won and Democrats did not try to overturn the results on the floor of the Congress. So, congratulations, Democrats,&#8221; Jennings finished his thought.
&#8220;I’m only interrupting you because we’ve heard this before,&#8221; Phillip claimed.
&#8220;But we’ve heard the truth before, but I thought it was worth repeating!&#8221; Jennings replied.
&#8220;Here’s the thing. You know, parliamentary disputes,&#8221; Phillip attempted to excuse the Democrats.
&#8220;There were not parliamentary disputes,&#8221; Jennings shot back.
&#8220;Mr. Speaker, a point of order,&#8221; Phillip said.
Jennings pushed back: &#8220;No, that’s not what happened. They tried to stop the counting of the votes.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-CONGRESS

Scott Jennings Torches Kamala Over Election Cert: ‘She Put Out A Video Trying To Canonize Herself’

Scott Jennings Torches Kamala Over Election Cert: 'She Put Out A Video Trying To Canonize Herself'

January 6

Kamala Harris

Scott Jennings

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Virginia Kruta